Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss battled prostate cancer before he succumbed to kidney failure, according to his death certificate. The 80-year-old business mogul passed away on 18 February, and now it has been revealed the immediate cause of death was kidney failure, while he also suffered respiratory failure. Buss battled metastatic sarcomatoid prostate cancer in the 15 months before his passing, and the cancer was listed as the second underlying cause of death, reports TMZ.com. Buss bought the Lakers in 1979 and took the basketball team to 10 championships.